Aitutaki Lagoon: what makes it different from Rarotonga

Aitutaki's lagoon is the thing people travel here for. It is enormous, shallow and enclosed by a triangular reef, with a scatter of small islands — motu — around its edge. The colour of the water is not an exaggeration of the photographs.

How it differs from Rarotonga

Rarotonga is a mountainous island with a narrow lagoon around it. Aitutaki is a much smaller volcanic island sitting inside a very large lagoon. The practical consequence is that on Rarotonga the lagoon is somewhere you walk to, and on Aitutaki most of the good parts are somewhere you take a boat to.

The motu

The best-known are One Foot Island (Tapuaetai), Honeymoon Island and Maina. They are small, sandy and mostly uninhabited. One Foot Island has a small post office where you can have your passport stamped, which is a genuinely charming thing rather than a gimmick.

Seeing it properly

A lagoon cruise is how most visitors experience Aitutaki, and it is worth doing. Typically a day on the water with snorkelling stops, time on one or two motu and lunch. There are also private charters and water taxi transfers if you want to go at your own pace or reach a particular motu.

From the shore

You can swim from the main island — the water off the eastern side is calm and shallow — but it is a different experience from being out on the lagoon. Do not judge Aitutaki by a swim off the beach.

Book something on Aitutaki

Booked direct with local operators — no booking fees.